The final show of season 2023, was The Scots Fancy Specialist Club show held this year in conjunction with the Scottish Lizard Canary Association. Neither club has a large membership so combining our efforts made a great deal of sense. Keith Johnson, the secretary of the SLCA, is fortunate in having a family who came and cooked a meal for the exhibitors, judges and exhibitors. It was a good day. 

Last year at this show, I won the awards for Best, 2nd and 3rd Best in Show but this year those awards went to my friend Gordon Alexander. His daughter Lauren Wight won Best Novice. My birds took the awards for Best Current year Bred White, Best Current Year Bred Yellow and Best Champion Flighted.

Gordon with his Best in Show bird

Lauren with her Best Novice

My Best Champion Flighted 

My Best CYB Yellow

The show cages are cleaned and stored away for another year. It's been fun but I enjoy the winter rest season too.  

 12 November 2023 was the date of the Old Variety Canary Association northern show held at the North of England Gloster Club show at Bomersund, Northumberland. 

Last year, my Scots Fancy was awarded Best Old Variety and my Belgian was awarded Second Best Old Variety. This year the result was reversed with my Belgian taking the award of Best Old Variety and my Scots Fancy being awarded Second Best Old Variety. 

I've always loved this show because the team are all now friends of mine and the venue is near my relatives with whom I can then spend time. 

All in all, it was a great weekend. 

 22 October 2023 was the date of Grangemouth CBS show. The winner of Best Scots was Gordon Alexander but one of my birds was in the last three for consideration of that honour so I was pleased with my 3 class wins from 5 classes entered, taking second place in the classes in which I didn't win first place.

My Belgian canary, ring No 32/22 won Best Flighted Any Other Variety and his half brother won Best Unflighted Any Other Variety, all against competition. I was pleased to win 5 out of 7 classes I entered.  I only entered 9 birds and all were first or second. 

 More than a decade ago, the Scottish National Cage Bird Society folded. It had held an annual show on 1st and 2nd January for many years - well over 100 - but lack of support killed it and many of us thought they'd never see it reinstituted. 

Then last year a small group of fanciers got together and did the work which led to the creation of Scotland's National Bird Club which hosted the first National Exhibition in Scotland for more than a decade. I was pleased to be a small part of that group. 

At the show, Gordon Alexander won Best Scots Fancy and I took the awards for Second and Third Best Scots Fancy as well as Best Old Variety with a Belgian flighted cock bird, the son of my world champion bird. 

The whole event was a great success and it is planned to happen again next year. If I can leave the hobby any legacy, it'll be my tiny part in this new venture.

Gordon Alexander with his winner of Best Scots Fancy at Scotland's National Bird Show

My Second and Third Best Scots Fancies at Scotland's National Bird Show

The top three Scots Fancies at Scotland's National Bird Show

My winning Belgian Bossu canary which won Best Old variety at Scotland's National Bird Show

The trophy for Best Old Variety

 After a successful breeding season, it's show season again! The years go by faster and faster. 

On the weekend of 30 September and 1 October, the National Exhibition at Stafford was held. I was lucky to win Best Scots Fancy in Show, along with Best Champion and Best Current Year Bred Bird. In the Old Variety section I also won Best Belgian. 

The Best Scots title I have now won six times and the Best Belgian title twice. 

This coming weekend sees the return of a long lost show, Scotland's National Bird Show. We hope the event is a great success. I'll add more after the event.

The photo above is me with my Best Scots winner - ring number 69/23.

The photo above is my Best Belgian - ring number 32/22 - son of the World Champion.

The rosette for 69/23 as Best Current Year Bred Bird.

Russell Sykes who won Best Novice Belgian with birds from my stock.

Matthew Atkinson who won Best Novice Scots.